MediaTek outs 8-core mobile chip, promises longer battery life

MediaTek, a processor maker, has partnered with ARM, a processor designer, to announce the first true eight-core mobile chip.

Dubbed the Octa-Core 6592, the chip enables all eight cores to work simultaneously. The processor, which is based on ARM architecture, supports up to 16-megapixel cameras and the full-HD video spec H.265. Ultra-HD support on the H.264 spec is also supported.

In addition to its higher power and stronger performance, the Octa-Core 6592 should deliver longer battery life, MediaTek said Wednesday. The chip uses the eight cores to reduce power consumption. MediaTek said that the power consumption can be cut to as low as 50 percent of the current needs of high-end chips already on the market.

Although MediaTek said the first mobile devices to support the chip are expected by the end of this year, purely bundling its technology in hardware isn't enough for users to see the increased benefits of eight cores. Application developers will need to optimize their software to take advantage of the eight cores. And since MediaTek's chip will be the first true eight-core chip to hit the market, developers who will have applications ready to take advantage of the technology will be few and far between.

Still, MediaTek will be the first of many chipmakers that in the coming year will be offering eight-core processors. So, it likely won't take long for software developers to catch up.